Ceiling construction



April 16 1935. o. E. GIBSON ET AL CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 31, 1932 INVENTORS OL/vE/PE. C1494 5.

Gus-sow. BY ST/Qom.

ATTORN;

Patented Apr. 16, 1935 PATENT OFF ICE CEILING CONSTRUCTION Oliver E. Gibson and Carl S. Strom,

Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 31,

14 Claims.

This invention relates to building constructions, and has reference more particularly to ceiling constructions in which perforated metal membranes are backed by sound-absorbing materials 5 for the purpose of absorbing sound and correcting the acoustics in a room.

In the construction of acoustical ceilings in buildings of the type employing perforated metal membranes backed by sound-absorbing fiber pads,

10 it is desirable to have the perforated membranes so constructed that they can be attached to supporting rails from below. It is also desirable that the clips connecting the perforated membranes with the supporting rails be slidable on the 15 rails so that the membranes can be pushed together in close abutting relation at their edges.

The membranes should also be locked in place on the supporting clips so that they cannot be inadvertently disconnected from the supporting rails.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an acoustical ceiling in which the membranes. can be conveniently attached to the supporting rails from below.

Another object of the invention is to provide an acoustical ceiling in which the membranes are slidably connected to the supporting rails and are locked in place against inadvertent disconnections from the rails; also to improve building constructions in other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

Reference is to be'had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of our improved perforated membranes,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the acoustical ceiling,

Fig. 3 is a perspective sectional view through the acoustical ceiling showing the method of attachment,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the attaching clips, and

Fig. 5 is a. sectional elevation through the acoustical ceiling adjacent a vertical wall.

In constructing the acoustical ceiling, a return bent hanger I is attached to a ceiling surface I I in any suitable way, such as by toggle bolts [2. The hanger ID has downwardly extending legs l3 terminating in oppositely disposed hooks I4 which are arranged to embrace oppositely disposed, upper flanges l of a structural rail or runner 16. The runner I6 is H shapedin cross section, or is in any other desired shape, and is provided with outstanding lower flanges I1. The rail I6 is prefer- 1932, Serial No. 631,254 (Cl. 189-88) ably composed of two channel strips with their webs spot welded together in back-to-back position. In order to clamp the two legs 13 of hanger l9 together with hooks I l embracing the flanges 15, a plurality of bars l9 are provided on their ends with books 29 which embrace the legs I 3 and clamp them together. An acoustical pad 22 of mineral wool, hair felt or other suitable soundabsorbing material, is supported upon the bars [9. A sheet metal membrane 24 is supported below the 10 rail flanges H in a manner to be hereinafter described, and is provided with triangular perforations 25 which may be any other desired shape, such as round, square, elliptical, etc. The membranes 24 are preferably square, but may be any other desired shape, and are formed with bevels 25 which terminate in outwardly extending flanges 21.

Two opposite flanges 21 of the membranes 24 are provided with slots 29, and the metal of the flange adjacent said slots is formed with an offset section 39 to give clearance for webs 3| of an attaching clip. The attaching clip 32 has out wardly extending lower legs 33, preferably formed integral with the webs 3| and being composed of folded, return bent, sheet metal. The upper parta of webs 3| extends outwardly to form flanges 34 and 35, the flange 34 being provided with a return bent hook 36 for engaging one of the rail flanges H. The flange 35 is provided with an upwardly inclined cam section 31, terminating in an upwardly inclined flange 38, the two flanges 31 and 38 forming a cam surface 39 at the junction of said flanges for the purpose of engaging the opposite rail flange l1 during. the upward movement of the membrane and clip 32 into its final position below the supporting rail [6. It will be noted that in the construction above described, the attaching clip 32 is slidably mounted upon the rail flange I1 so as to permit movement of the mem- 40 branes 24 along the rail until the edges of adjoining membranes are in close abutting relation. The attaching clip 32 can also be conveniently snapped into position upon the rail flanges I! by a Workman located below the ceiling. The offset sections 30'are of sufficient depth to permit substantial clearance for the webs 3| thus permitting inaccurate spacing of the runner l6. Struck out lugs 40 are formed on the upper legs 33 to lock the membranes in position on said legs after installation.

At the junction of the ceiling surface I I with a vertical wall 4|, an L shaped runner 42 is secured to the wall- 4| by nails 43 or other suitable fastening devices. An outstanding leg 44 is formed on the runner 42 for the purpose of engaging a return bent hook 45 formed on an attaching clip 46. The clip 46 is preferably 8 shaped and includes an outstanding lower flange 41 for en agingin one of the slots 29 of the membranes 24.

We would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical em bodiment of our invention, we do not wish to limit ourselves precisely to these details, since manifestly, the same may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a building construction, a supporting rail having an outstanding flange, a clip slidably connected to said flange, a perforated metal membrane having an apertured, outstanding flange, an outstanding member on said clip engaging in said flange aperture, and a locking lug on said member resisting the withdrawal of said member from said aperture and arranged to maintain said membrane firmly in edge abutting relation.

2. In a building construction, a supporting rail having an outstanding flange, a clip slidably connected to said flange, a perforated \metal membrane having a slotted, outstanding flange, and an outstanding member on said clip engaging in said slot, the metal of said flange adjacent said slot being offset to provide clearance for said clip between adjacent membranes.

3. A clip for building construction comprising a metallic strip bent to form a pair of oppositely extending legs provided with looking lugs, a central web, and a pair of opposed support engaging means.

4. In a building construction, a vertical wall surface, an angle member secured horizontally to said surface, a membrane unit having one edge adjacent such surface, an upstanding flange on said edge having a slot formed therein, and a clip having a pair of spaced apart, oppositely extending members connecting said membrane unit to said angle .member, one of said clip members engaging a flange of said angle and the other of said clip members engaging in the slot of said upstanding membrane flange.

5. In an acoustical building construction, vertical and horizontal building surfaces, sound absorbent material below said horizontal surface, an angle strip secured to said vertical surface parallel to said horizontal surface, one leg of said angle strip being adapted to receive means for supporting said sound absorbent material, a perforated membrane extending in a plane below said sound absorbent material, and a separate, substantially S shaped clip connecting said membrane to the other leg of said angle member.

6. In a building construction, a membrane unit building surface comprising a plurality of membrane units, and a building surface disposed in substantially angular relationship to said membrane, an attaching member secured to said last mentioned building surface and substantially parallel to said first mentioned surface, said member providing support for a membrane unit adjacent said first mentioned surface, and separate, individual clips connecting the edge of said membrane unit nearest said member to said member to maintain the unit adjacent said angularly disposed building surface.

7. In a construction of the class described, a pair of membrane units, upturned flanges on adjacent edges of said unit and having registering perforations formed therein, a flanged support. and a clip carried by said flanged support and having a pair of integral, oppositely extending legs extending into said perforations and maintaining said membrane units in erected position adjacent said supports.

8. In a construction of the class described, a pair of membrane units, upturned flanges on adjacent edges of said units having registering perforations formed therein, a flanged support, and a clip carried by said flanged support, said clip having a vertical web and a pair of integral, oppositely extending legs on said web for extending into said perforations to maintain said membrane units in erected position adjacent said supports, the area of said upturned flanges adjacent said perforations being pressed inwardly of the unit so as to provide clearance for said clip web therebetween and permit the edges of said units to closely abut.

9. A building construction of the character indicated, comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced furring strips, acoustical tiles formed of foraminated membranes having marginal flanges extending laterally with respect to the plane of the main area, said membranes being disposed with their flanges adjacent the longitudinal centers of the furring strips, the flange of said membrane adjacent the furring strip having a portion offset to form a strap or loop, and means for securing the membranes to the furring strips, including supporting clips formed of flat metal stock, each having a leg portion adapted to be extended through the strap of the membrane, and each having a lug struck therefrom, said lug being adapted when said leg portion is entered into the strap to firmly engage an abutting surface of the flange for locking the clip in position, said clip having portions opposite the leg adapted to engage co-operatively formed portions of the furring strip.

10. A ceiling construction comprising supports, perforated, membrane units provided with upstanding flanges below said supports, said flanges having slots formed therein, and separate slidably mounted clips carried by said supports and being provided with outstanding legs extending into said slots for supporting said membrane units in edge abutting relation;

11. A sound deadening building construction comprising supports, perforated membrane units adjacent said supports, said units being provided with upstanding flanges having predetermined slots formed therein, sound absorbing material behind said units, and clips carried by said supports and having parts extending into said slots and connecting said membranes to said supports.

12. A ceiling comprising a building surface, hanger means for suspending spaced, parallel supports below said surface, membrane units below said supports, upstanding flanges on said units, said flanges having slots formed therein, and separate clips carried by said supports and having parts extending into said slots to connect said units to said supports.

13. In a building construction, a supporting rail having outstanding flanges, a clip having opposed channels, said clip being slidably supported on said rail flanges, said clip having a pair of opposed outstanding legs, and a perforated metal membrane having an outstanding flange provided with an aperture, one of said legs being arranged to extend into said aperture to connect said membrane to said rail.

14. In a building construction, a supporting on laid member resisting the withdrawal of said rail having an outstanding flange, a clip slidably member from said aperture, and arranged to connected to said flange, a perforated metal maintain said membranes firmly in edge abutmembrane having an apertured, outstanding ting relation.

5 flange, an outstanding member on said clip en- OLIVER E. GIBSON.

gaging in said flange apert and a locking lug CARL S. STROM. 

